1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an ice dispenser, and more specifically to such an ice dispenser in which ice blocks stored in an ice stocker can be dispensed from an ice dispensing outlet formed at the front of a dispenser body.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of conventional ice dispensers is illustrated in FIGS. 4 through 6. In these figures, an ice dispenser 1 contains within a body 2 thereof an auger ice maker mechanism 3 serving as an ice maker portion, and an ice stocker 4 serving as an ice reservoir portion.
The ice stocker 4 is disposed on the top of the auger ice maker mechanism 3. The ice stocker 4 is made of metal such as stainless steel, and a thermally insulating layer 5 made of a thermally insulating material is formed over the outer surface of the ice stocker 4. Further, an ice discharge opening 9 is formed at the lower portion in the outer wall surface of the ice stocker 4 which is a cylindrically shaped member. The ice discharge opening 9 is located at the front of the body 2. A bracket 6 as shown in FIG. 5 is arranged above the ice discharge opening 9.
The bracket 6 is fixed to the outer wall surface of the ice stocker 4 by welding, and a shutter mechanism 7 for opening/closing the ice discharge opening 9 is secured to the bracket 6 by a plurality of screws 8, as shown in FIG. 6. The shutter mechanism 7 comprises an opening/closing member 10 for opening/closing the ice discharge opening 9, a plunger 12 connected to the opening/closing member 10 through a link member 11, and a solenoid 13 for vertically driving the plunger 12 in an advancing and retracting manner. When the solenoid 13 pulls the plunger 12 upward by means of the electromagnetic force, as shown in double-dotted chain lines in FIG. 6, the opening/closing member 10 may rotate about a shaft 14 in the counterclockwise direction as shown in FIG. 6. As a result, the ice discharge opening 9 is opened.
As shown in FIG. 4, an ice dispensing outlet 15 is formed at the center of the front of the body 2. When the ice discharge opening 9 is opened by the shutter mechanism 7, the ice stored in the ice stocker 4 is discharged from the ice discharge opening 9, and then dispensed from the ice dispensing outlet 15 through a chute (not shown). A switching operation piece 16 is arranged beneath the ice dispensing outlet 15, and is activated by pushing with a glass or the like. If the switching operation piece 16 is forcibly pushed toward the body 2, the solenoid 13 in the shutter mechanism 7 is excited so that the opening/closing member 10 allows the ice discharge opening 9 to be opened, and the ice is discharged therefrom.
However, the foregoing conventional ice dispenser may permit the cold inside the ice stocker 4 to be conducted to the shutter mechanism 7 through the bracket 6, causing dew-condensation water to be deposited on the shutter mechanism 7. Thus, there was a fear that such dew-condensation water would flow into the solenoid 13 to result in malfunction of the shutter mechanism 7.